


An Uncommon Grail War: Prologue 5: Lancer

by panahinuva



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Original Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:33:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22520053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/panahinuva/pseuds/panahinuva
Summary: A new grail war begins in London. The fifth servant is summoned by a jaded martial mage.
Kudos: 3





	An Uncommon Grail War: Prologue 5: Lancer

The house was quiet, apart from the _thud, thud, thud_ of knuckles against canvas and padding. In a small home gym, an older woman, built strong, her red hair streaked with grey and pulled back in a ponytail, was hammering away at a punching bag. At some unseen signal, she stopped and pressed a hand against the leather. The bag shimmered, gaining a gleaming coat over it. The woman then held up her fists, a similar glow materializing as she started hitting it once more. Instead of the previous thuds, now there was a the crash of metal on metal, two unbreakable objects colliding at a speed that should shatter both, but didn't. 

The woman finally released her magic and released her breath, pressing her hands together. Anya Bosphoron hadn't hit a real person in years and yet she still had to suppress the urge to simplify every frustrating interaction by killing everyone involved and leaving. She couldn't even hold a real job, because an untoward noise would result in her putting her fist through either someone's head or the wall next to them. She considered the command seals on her right hand. 

In her letter, Marion had made it clear that this was an invitation to participate, not to go full Kiritsugu Emiya on the participants. That struck her as a bit odd. Why involve someone like her if the objective wasn't to kill everyone else? She'd done a few jobs for Marion in the past, back when she was still active. She wondered if everyone involved in the war was connected with the magical researcher in some respect.

She chuckled to herself as she showered. In a traditional grail war, a free for all, grand melee, kill or be killed conflict, she probably would've summoned an assassin and not bothered fighting any other servants, just masters. However, with Marion's instructions, she decided to summon someone else. The person she had in mind was...audacious. Not the process of summoning her, the servant was a renowned hero and Anya had the material she needed. But the person she had in mind...The mage smiled thinly as she dried herself off and changed into jeans and a blouse. Marion would hate her, maybe never forgive her. But it was the price the other mage had to pay for interrupting her retirement with these shenanigans.

She entered her workshop, although workshop wasn't quite the right word for it. It was more of an armory, than anything else. Swords of various types lined the walls, as well as throwing weapons. She selected a pair of bokken and slid them through her belt, then slung a bandolier of darts over her shoulder. She had no idea why she wanted to impress a warrior from thirty three centuries ago, but maybe they could find a similar rapport, one warrior woman to another.

She took the tarp off her summoning circle and opened the closet next to it, pulling out a shield, penetrated by a spear. It was a xyston, a greek thrusting spear she had made herself, but tipped with the head of a spear she'd acquired from a catalyst specialist. There were always collectors who dreamed of participating in a grail war, if not personally, then through helping someone else summon a servant. She arranged the little tableau in the center of the circle, then sat down cross legged and started the chant. It had been easy enough to memorize. When you spent your life memorizing the layouts of buildings, lists of passwords and lists of materials you needed for a mission, a little incantation was basically nothing. 

As the incantation completed, a rumble shook the room, before it exploded with the sound of violence, horses and men screaming in pain and fear, swords clashing, and the crash of siege weapons. Anya didn't flinch, although the speed of her breathing increased. She shut her eyes, murmuring a mantra to calm herself as memories she didn't wish to revisit rose. As such, she missed the sight of a lance head thrusting through the air, slicing it open and a woman leaping through into the circle, landing gracefully. The woman was younger than her, probably in her twenties, with long silver hair, darkly tanned skin and golden brown eyes. She wore a bronze breastplate that was curved, hinting at the curves beneath that required it and a leather skirt, studded with spikes. On her arms were equally spiked gauntlets, tipped with vicious claws. The spear she was holding was a xyston, similar to the one used for summoning, tipped with a bronze spearpoint and a bronze shield in her other hand. "Hail, summoner." The woman said, banging her spear against her shield. "Hail, you who has seen past my rage to the warrior within!"

Anya looked up at her and then stood up. The woman was easily a foot taller than her and impressively muscled. "Hail, Penthesilea." She said calmly, bowing. Then she sighed. "This doesn't feel right. Let's talk in the dojo. You don't mind sparring with me, do you?" Shed asked.

Penthesilea blinked at her. "Sparring...with me?" She asked cautiously. "You are just a human, are you not?" She asked, looking over Anya with curiosity.

"Yes. I know what you're thinking, but just play along. Do I have to use a command seal to make you?" Anya asked with a wry smile, turning and walking out the workshop door. Penthesilea looked bemused, but followed anyway. 

In the dojo, Anya drew one of her bokken, increasing the servant's confusion. "You propose to fight me with a wooden sword?" She inquired, twirling her spear. "In that case, give me the best you have." As soon as the words left her mouth, the amazon regretted it as Anya was instantly in her face, knocking the spear aside with a powerful strike from her sword and headbutting the warrior queen. The amazon staggered backwards, attempting to regain her footing as Anya rained blows down on her, a look of grim determination on her face. Penthesilea finally managed to plant a foot and slam her shield into Anya, blasting her backwards onto the mat. A second later, the Greek was back on her feet, looking barely the worse for wear. But that second had given Penthesilea time to recover her poise and she launched a flurry of jabs with her spear, forcing Anya to parry. "Do you yield?" The amazon inquired. "I have the greater reach...Hey!" She objected in surprise as Anya grabbed the haft of her spear and yanked on it, pulling her off balance again and returning to hitting her with the sword. " **BACK OFF!** " Penthesilea finally bellowed, calling on the power of her father to hurl the martial mage away from her before pinning her with her foot, putting her full weight behind it. "What were you attempting to prove here?" She inquired curiously.

"Just curious if I could fight you to the point where you were forced to call upon your powers as a servant, not just a warrior." Anya smiled from her position on the floor. "I knew I couldn't beat you. If you were so inclined, you simply could've called on your noble phantasm and annihilated me. But since we were sparring, I knew you wouldn't."

Penthesilea laughed and let her stand. "I understand. You were seeking to gain the measure of my strength as a warrior, as well as demonstrate your own to me." She nodded. "A brave act, one I respect. So, where will this grail war be taking place?" She inquired. 

"London." Anya replied, standing up and cracking her neck. "We leave tomorrow morning. I have plenty of mana and a false ID for you if you wish to travel with me."

Penthesilea considered it, then shook her head. "I appreciate the offer, but no. I'll simply follow in spirit form. I refuse to give up my spear and I imagine that airport security would not take kindly to a fully armed and armored Greek warrior walking through the airport."

Anya laughed so hard at the image that she had to lean over and put her hands on her knees to catch her breath. "Well reasoned." She nodded. "Oh and just to warn you, the host might have an...adverse reaction to your presence. Just be aware of that."

Penthesilea raised an eyebrow. "Why? Was she struck in the head with a copy of the Iliad when she was younger?"

"No, she had a poor interaction with a berserker incarnation of you. You'll understand when you see her." Anya replied, pulling a cloth out of a box on the wall and starting to clean her bokken.

"So why summon me, then, if you knew it would tilt the competition against you?" Penthesilea inquired. "There are a panoply of other lancers to summon, and I sense you have the mana to support any one of them."

Anya gave a grim smile. "I want to make it clear to her and all the others that I'm not afraid of any of them. I'm not there to play games and make nice, I'm there to get my wish granted, regardless of how many people I have to go through to get it."

Penthesilea nodded wisely. "I understand. Well, I will endeavor to make your wish come true. Until then, I shall take my leave." The warrior queen bowed and then shimmered out of physical substance. Anya stared at the spot where she'd been for a moment, then returned to her room to pack.


End file.
